What Is the Best Way to Measure the Colour of Beverages?

The best way to measure the colour of beverages is by using a benchtop spectrophotometer. As beverages can come in various forms, such as translucent, transparent and opaque, a benchtop spectrophotometer is best for colour measurement.

Measure Beverages According to Their Liquid Form

When you measure the colour of beverages, utilizing a tool like a spectrophotometer that considers haze and transparency is essential. There are two types of beverages that will influence how you measure your drinks during production:

• Translucent and transparent liquids: Some beverages are clearer than others, but if light can penetrate through the beverage, you're testing a transparent or translucent liquid. Spectrophotometers measure transmittance and transparency in these drinks.
• Opaque beverages: These are liquids in which little to no light can pass through, and they can have a cloudy appearance due to pulp or other particles. Spectrophotometers measure reflectance for these beverages.

It's vital to have a beverage colour analyzer that measures both translucent and opaque liquids.

Measure Colour Throughout the Production Process

As beverages can be volatile, factors like storage, temperature changes, and transportation can influence their colour. Ensuring you test for colour changes throughout production can help maintain consistent colour even after your products reach the end users.

Understand the Difference Between Colour Indications and Safety Standards

Colour does not always indicate the safety of a beverage, as expired liquids will have primary indicators — like expiration dates — that they are no longer safe to sell. Colour is an essential factor, however, in beverage industry standards. Food and beverage regulatory bodies provide robust regulations that emphasize the need for manufacturers to uphold specific product colour standards.

These rules are in place to protect the consumer and ensure every batch of beverages you produce has a uniform colour according to its product type. These health and safety factors become an even more critical issue for beverages made from natural ingredients, as these ingredients could be volatile or change colour and composition.

Measure the Colour of Beverages Accurately With HunterLab

Whether you're working with coconut water, fruit juice, bottled water, or craft beer, our colour spectrophotometers offer fast and reliable results batch-to-batch. Our spectrophotometers include innovative technology to measure haze and colour in beverages so that you can avoid costly mistakes and consistently deliver fully measured liquids. For more information, explore our beverage colour measurement solutions or contact us online today.